My Pretty Doll
by renravda
Summary: What if the line separating reality and fantasy becomes blurred? What if fantasy is more bearable than reality? AU Tsu/his
1. My Pretty Doll

My Pretty Doll

Tsuzuki sat on the couch in front of the television set. His slightly turned his face to the left to stare at the grandfather clock. Only two more hours before Tatsumi would come home from work. Then they could have dinner, and maybe Tatsumi would be in a good mood and let him have ice cream. With the remote controller in his hand, he faced the blank television set again. Only more hours. Two more hours. Two whole hours. He waited in silence. Was everything always this quiet here? He could hear the drops of water dripping from the sink to the unwashed dishes. Outside he could hear the soft clanging of the sprinklers and the water as it hit the grass. The ticking and tocking of the clock started pounding into his ears. _Tick tock_. He covered his ears and glared at the clock. _Tick tock._ It's hands don't seem to be moving. _Tick tock. _What's wrong with the clock? Why is it still ticking if the hands have stopped moving? "No," Tsuzuki begged the clock, "stop. Please stop." _Tick tock._ The clock began to tick even faster, yet the hands of the clock still would not move. With one hand still covering one of his ears, he used the other to turn on the TV in hopes of drowning out that miserable noise. _Tick tock_. He turned the volume up to its maximum. _Tick tock._ His breathing became labored. What is wrong with that wretched clock? Why won't it leave him alone? _Tick tock. Tick tock. _His chest began to ache, and clock ticked even faster…faster. Tsuzuki dropped the remote; it fell and the ground swallowed it up. The TV in front of him disappeared as well. Everything in front of him vanished, including the clock…yet the ticking will neither slow down nor cease. The pain in his chest became unbearable. He tried to swallow down the pain as he clutched his heart, meanwhile the ticking grew louder…and louder…

"No," Tatsumi said to the voice on the other end of the phone, "He's not awake yet." 

"Do you know what triggered it?"

"No, unfortunately. He kept on mumbling something about a grandfather clock. We don't have a grandfather clock."

"That's strange. He seemed to be doing well for the last couple of weeks."

"I wish he would tell me what goes through his mind when he goes through these spells."

"Well, don't worry. Take as much time off as you need. I'll cover for you until Tsuzuki gets better. It's best not to leave him alone." 

"Arigatou, I'll talk to you later." Tatsumi hung up the phone and sat by Tsuzuki's side. Tsuzuki's eyes slowly started to open. "You're finally awake," Tatsumi smiled down on him, "how are you feeling." Tsuzuki's eye remained on Tasumi for a second, then it wandered around the room. "What were you looking for," Tatsumi asked.

"Finally," Tsuzuki whispered, "finally, that sound is gone." His eyes closed again and he went back to sleep.

Tsuzuki opened his eyes and took a deep breath. Is that breakfast he smelled? He took another deep breath to take it all in. Yep, it's definitely food he smelled. What is was exactly, he couldn't tell. He leaped out of bed and got dressed. He was about to leave his room when he heard a knock. Tatsumi enter the room with a tray filled with yummies.

"Ohaiyou," Tatsumi greeted him and motioned for him to sit down. "You can eat here this morning," he said as he handed him the tray of food. 

"Gomen ne Tatsumi," Tsuzki said after he finished gulping down his breakfast. "I didn't mean to make you worry. I didn't mean to be so troublesome."

"I don't find you troublesome at all." Tatsumi smiled ate Tsuzuki, "It's been a while since we've done some shopping. I'll let you buy whatever you want today."

"Really?" Tsuzuki's eyes twinkled, "I want lots and lots of yummies."

"All right then."

Tsuzuki carried and much sweets and junk food in his arms as he could as he and Tatsumi strolled down the streets.

"Huh?" something in the store window caught his eye. It was the most beautiful thing he has ever seen. The doll stood about sixteen inches high with short golden locks of hair. What really caught his attention however, were the doll's eyes, two glistening emeralds. He took stepped closer until he could see his own reflection in those eyes.

"Do you want that doll?" Tatsumi asked, and Tsuzuki nodded. "Let's go check it out then."

"Irashai," the dollmaker greeted them. "How may I help you?" Tsuzuki stared at the dollmaker. He gave him the creeps. One of his eyes were hidden behind his platinum blond hair, and Tsuzuki didn't know what to make of his other eye. He never trusted anyone whose eyes he couldn't read. And so, he didn't say anything.

"That doll on display in front," Tatsumi spoke for him, "the one with the green eyes, my friend here wants to buy it."

"That would be Hisoka," the dollmaker informed them.

"We'd like to have Hisoka then."

"I'll get one from the back for you. Excuse me for one moment." A few minutes later he came back the Hisoka doll." Tsuzuki happily picked up and looked into its eyes. He frowned, quickly put it back down and shook his head. "What's wrong?" the dollmaker asked. Tsuzuki gently tugged Tatsumi's sleeves and pointed to the Hisoka doll in the display window. The dollmaker smiled, "that doll is for display only. It's not for sale." Tsuzuki pouted, and Tatsumi sighed. In one day, Tsuzuki is going to spend entire life savings. 

"How much?" Tatsumi asked. "I'm willing to pay three times its original price."

"Very well, then." The dollmaker removed the Hisoka doll from the display window to wrap it up for his customers. Tatsumi wrote him a check, and they left the store..

In the car on the way home, Tsuzuki quickly unwrapped Hisoka. 

"Tsuzuki," Tatsumi asked, "why did you insist on having the doll on display. They're the same thing anyway."

"No they're not," Tsuzuki shook his head, "they're completely different." He looked into the doll's eyes and found himself. He couldn't see anything in the other doll's eyes. "They're not the same thing at all."

"As long as he's happy, as long as he's happy," Tatsumi muttered to himself while trying to ignore the void in his wallet, "as long as he's happy, as long as he's happy." 

"Did you say something Tatsumi?" Tsuzuki asked.

"Uh, no. It's nothing."

By the time they got home, Tsuzuki was exhausted. He wanted to head to bed right away. Tsuzuki hugged Hisoka tightly as he slept. This doll that Tatsumi paid three times its original price for was currently his most prized possession. Everyone was trying to help him, and he believed that this doll will help him get better, and he'll be healthy again.

"Get off me," something kicked Tsuzuki in the knees, "baka, let go of me!" Another blow knocked Tsuzuki off his bed. Still in a daze, he got back up and jumped back into bed. He heard a yelp and was knocked out of bed again. That was enough to wake him up, but apparently he was still dreaming. He closed his eyes and opened them again.

"Huh?" Tsuzuki rubbed his eyes, but he still saw him. "Hisoka?" The doll that was only originally sixteen inches tall had somehow become life size.


	2. Our Little Secret

Tsuzuki moved closer to the living doll.  What the heck is going on here?  Tsuzuki rubbed his eyes again, but Hisoka was still there.

"Hisoka?" he called out.  The doll looked up at him, apparently responding to the name.  "I thought, I mean, you were," Tsuzuki struggled to find the right words.  "Well, you, uh," Tsuzuki continued to fumble over his words.  "Are you tired?" he asked when he noticed Hisoka's droopy eyes.  "Why don't you go to sleep?" He then remembered that gravity was not his friend.  "You take the bed.  I'll sleep on the floor."  He grabbed one of his pillows and a spare blanket.  Hisoka gave him a surprised look.

"Who are you?" he finally asked.

"I'm Tsuzuki," he said as he smiled.  "You're still Hisoka, right?"  The living doll nodded.  "Oyasumi," Tsuzuki said as he closed his eyes.  The grandfather clock ticked loudly, but it didn't bother Tsuzuki tonight.

 Tatsumi's nose twitched.  An unusual smell had crept up the stairs and into his room.  Maybe the garbage truck broke down in front of their house again.  Maybe he could do something to help get it moving.  Tatsumi got changed into his usual suit and left his room.   He stopped in front of Tsuzuki's room.  He didn't want to wake Tsuzuki up yet, but he should still check up on him.  He gently turned the door knob and peered in.   To his surprise, the room was empty.  A blanket and a pillow were lying on the floor.   "That Tsuzuki," he muttered as he picked up the blanket and pillow and began tidying up the place a little.  He smiled when he saw the little Hisoka doll lying in Tsuzuki's bed wrapped up in a blanket.  Tsuzuki really is a child at heart.  His nose twitched again.  

"Tatsumi!" Tsuzuki's voice bellowed through the entire house, "are you awake?"  Tatsumi sighed.  That Tsuzuki, he never thinks about what he's doing.  His screaming like that could wake up Sleeping Beauty.  "TATSUMI!!"  Tatsumi dashed down the stairs to see what the matter was.    What if Tsuzuki needed help?  What if he was hurt?  Tsuzuki came out of a kitchen in a baby blue apron with a spatula in one hand and salt in the other.  "I'm sorry, Tatsumi. Did I wake you up?"  Tatsumi heaved a sigh of relief.

"No, I was already awake."

"That's good, I was afraid I woke you up." Tsuzuki smiled, "I made breakfast."

"Well, I'm starved.  What did you make?"

"Well," Tsuzuki started scratching his head with the spatula, "I don't know."  He shrugged and went back into the kitchen.  Tatsumi followed.

"Is there anything I can help you with?"  

"Nah, you just relax.  I have everything under control."  Tsuzuki merrily went on making breakfast. "Ne Tatsumi, Are you taking another day off?"

"Yes.  I've made arrangements to have someone cover for me for a while until-"

"Until I get better?  I'm fine now, Tatsumi."

"I don't want to leave you alone just yet."

"You don't have to watch over me.  Besides, I'm not alone.  I have Hisoka."  He handed Tatsumi a plate of food.  "By the way, some guy called.  He said that you have to come in this morning for a couple of hours.  Something about new management or merchandise or whatever, it confused me."

"Did he say what time?" Tatsumi asked as he forced down a spoonful of Tsuzuki's cooking.

"Can't remember."

"I'd better go now then," He said when he finished off his plate, "are you sure you're going to be ok by yourself?"

"Hisoka's with me."  

"All right, I'll see you in a couple of hours."

Tsuzuki opened the door to his room and tiptoed over to the bed.  Hisoka was still asleep.  He looked like an angel.  Do angels dream while the sleep?  A teardrop rolled down Hisoka's face and the angel opened his eyes.

"Ohaiyou Hisoka," Tsuzuki smiled.  "Are you hungry?"  Hisoka's nose twitched, and he shook his head.  "Well, if you're not hungry, do you want to play some games?"  He pulled a bunch of board games and a PS2 out from under the bed.  Hisoka shook his head again.  Tsuzuki was puzzled that Hisoka didn't want to do anything he suggested.  "What do you want to do?"  Again, Hisoka shook his head.  "I know," Tsuzuki exclaimed, "why don't I show you my photo album?"  Before Hisoka could respond, Tsuzuki had already made himself comfortable next to Hisoka with the album in his lap.  Meanwhile the clock still ticked.

Tatsumi stepped out the office.  To his surprise, he was greeted by an old friend.

"Tatsumi," he said.

"Muraki," Tatsumi said.

"How's Tsuzuki?  I hope he's enjoying my little doll.  It pained me to part with it."

"The doll is fine.  Tsuzuki loves it. If you don't mind I'll be on my way."  Tatsumi ignored Muraki and went into his car.

"Maybe I should give them a little visit," he said to himself after Tatsumi left.

"That's when Tatsumi took me to the beach," he said pointing to a picture of him and Tatsumi.  He said that the sea air would help me, but look at him.  Even at the beach, he still wears that suit of his."

"Tatsumi," Hisoka said, "I've seen him somewhere."

"Of course," Tsuzuki said, "He was the one who bought you for me. He had to pay three times as much."

"Stop it," Hisoka said under his breath.

"Huh?"

"Stop it!"

"I'm sorry.  I just wanted to let you know how much more special you are than those other dolls."

"Stop it!  Stop treating me like an object!"  Hisoka got up and ran out of the room.  Tsuzuki chased him down the stairs and into the living room.  Hisoka opened the front door, and quickly slammed it shut again.  He locked the door and faced the confused Tsuzuki.  The doorbell started ringing.  Tsuzuki started moving towards Hisoka and the door.  Hisoka shook his head, and Tsuzuki stopped.  "No don't.  It's the dollmaker."  

"What could he possibly want?" Tsuzuki asked Hisoka while carefully peeking out the window from behind the curtains.

"I don't know."

"Maybe he'll go away."

"Maybe," Hisoka shook his head, "but he'll come back; he never leaves anything unfinished."

"Well, don't worry, Hisoka.  I won't let anything happen to you."  

"Muraki," Tatsumi said to the man standing in front of his house, "what are you doing here?"  Muraki smiled.

"I just want to see how my doll is.  It was quite precious to me."  Muraki moved closer to Tatsumi.  "Does my presence bother you?"

"Yes, it does.  Please leave my home."  

"I can be patient till next time," Muraki smiled.  Tatsumi unlocked the door and entered the house.

"Tsuzuki!" he yelled the minute he stepped into the house.  "Why must you always leave your toys lying around like that?"  He picked up the little Hisoka doll and handed it to Tsuzuki.  "Put him back in your room," then his voice got gentler, "and come back downstairs, I bought you some ice cream."  Tsuzuki's face brightened up and with the doll in his arms, he rushed upstairs to his room.

"Hisoka," he asked, "why did you become a doll again when Tatsumi came home?"

"It'll make everything more complicated.  Only you and the dollmaker know.  I want to keep it that way."

"Ok. You can trust me.  I'll keep your secret."  Tsuzuki then went downstairs for some ice cream.

Author's note:  I really have to apologize for all the ooc in this story, especially in this chapter.  I think I made Tsuzuki too childlike, and Hisoka doesn't seem to have much of a personality.  Also, the story assumes that Muraki and Tatsumi knew each other prior to buying Hisoka, and those scenes with Muraki aren't supposed to be as pointless as they sound.  Well, anyway, thanks for reading and please leave a review.


End file.
